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Geography Hawaii is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I had a map of Hawaii overlaid on a map of Japan with the identical scale on hand.
There are seven major islands in Hawaii. The Big Island of Hawaii is the largest island in Hawaii and major astronomical facilities are located on this island. Another site for astronomy is at Haleakala, a mountain on Island of Maui (altitude:3056m). The largest astronomy institute in Hawaii is Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, which is located in Honolulu. When you fly from Asia, most of you will land in Honolulu first. Honolulu is located on Island of Oahu, the third largest island. Oahu is about 300 km apart from Big Island of Hawaii and it takes about 40 minutes by air.
Big Island of Hawaii has two big mountains; Mauna Loa (altitude:4169m) and Mauna Kea (altitude:4205m). It is believed that volcanic activities of Mauna Kea stopped several thousand years ago and it will not erupt again (That's why we built the telescope there!). Mauna Loa is still active. Last eruption was seen on 1984. The youngest volcano, Kilauea is located on the southeast of the island.
The seminar is held in heart of Kailua-Kona town. We call the area "Kona". Kona is located on the west coast of the island and is the center of tourism. A lot of visitors come to Kona to enjoy beach, warm climate and doing nothing. There are many shops and restaurants within walking distance from the hotel. So you can enjoy Kona even after the seminar. Most shops open until 8 to 9 p.m. Kona is one of the safest tourism destinations in the United States and even in the world. Please enjoy. Temperature in Kona in March: High 29 deg C, Low 19 deg C. Royal Kona Resort Web page of the hotel you are staying Aloha Airlines Hawaiian Airlines Airlines you are flying with Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau Very informative web site created by Hawaii State Government Surviving in KonaWe plan to provide pastry in the morning of the days when sessions are and lunch of the same days. This may or may not fill all your stomach. We also provide lunch during the summit tour and excursion. So the participants must have meals of their own for;
Each meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) is available starting from 6 USD in town. The hotel, the venue for the seminar, is located in the heart of town of Kailua-Kona, world-famous resort town, not by the observatory. There is supermarkets about 1 km from the hotel and a convenience store (similar to seven-eleven) about 300m from the hotel. You can save money by buying grocery there. Legal Ages for Alcohol and Tobacco consumption In Hawaii, legal drinking age is 21. There seems to be no regulation for the minimum age of tobacco consumption, but the Hawaii law says it is illegal to sell or give tobacco to minor whose age is under 18. Foreign Exchange Foreign exchange is available at Honolulu International Airport. See carefully at custom area or the second floor of the international arrival area for location. No foreign exchange is available at Kona airport. Money exchange is also available at local banks. Please note that banks are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. If you plan to arrive on Sunday March 12, please change money at Honolulu airport or before your leaving your country. Certain currencies may not be accepted in the United States. Mauna Kea Summit Tour Since the mountain is very high, there is a risk of high-altitude sickness at the summit. See the following note very carefully. http://www.naoj.org/Information/Tour/Summit/caution.html We will prepare warm jackets for you. So you don't have to bring it with you. But no sandals, no high heels or no bare foot please.
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